Elizabeth AddisonImprovised Intentions
12” x 12” x 10”, Mixed media sculpture (old box springs, recycled wire, vintage topo maps – all materials scavenged or repurposed instead of becoming landfill)
Improvised Intentions is one of my favorite recent works. Not only was the creation process joyful, but every component is repurposed or recycled… and would have been landfill, otherwise. This work is personal. It embodies heartfelt meaning and correlates with real-life happenings and personal connections. Every time I revisit Improvised Intentions, I recall its lineage. The rusty bedsprings were a gift from artist Judy Shintani. The connective material, copper wire, was recycled from a favorite SOMArts Day of the Dead installation and my daughters’ abandoned jewelry kit. Lastly, the hands were cut from old topographical survey maps, found dumped at a curbside. Topographical imagery – including pathfinding and an awareness of what’s underfoot – is a constant companion in my creative practice, overtly and occultly.
